Corn-planter



(No Model.)

' G. s. SHEFFIELD.

CORN PLANTER.

No. 461,054. Patented Oct. 13,1891.

witn ssas:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. SHEFFIELD, OF BRONSON, MICHIGAN.

CORN-PLANTER.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,054, dated October 13,1891.

App a fi e l 9 Serial No. 388,047. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SHEFFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bronson, county of Branch, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Corn-Planter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the below described and claimed combination of elements designed toimprove the droppingmechanism of corn-planters and to facilitate their operation.

In the drawings forming parts of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. is a section on line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is plan of Fig. 2 with parts removed. Fig. 4: i a plan of Fig. 3 with parts removed. Fig. is a section on line 4 4. in Fig. 2. Flg. 6 is section on line 6 6 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is section on line 5 5 in Fig. 4:.

Referring to the lettered parts of the drawings, A shows a corn-planter of a well-known construction, except the mechanism for dropping the corn out of the boX or hopper B.

In the bottom of the box is a plate E, provided with a discharge-orifice F at one side, as in Figs. 3, 4, and 7. This plate is provided with elongated slots c c, Fig. 4., in which setscrews are employed to hold the plate in a fixed position, and by loosening said setscrews the plate E can be turned one way or the other to adjust the orifice F to the desired position. Above the disk E is a revoluble casting D, provided with a series of holes 1, around and near to its outer edge, forming grain-pockets. This casting D is provided with a central pendent axis through the bottom of the box and through the disk E, as in Fig. 5. Above the casting D is a casting G, having a series of holes t', smaller than the pockets t and directly over the same, for controlling the size of said pockets, Fig. 2. At one side of each hole "5 is a downwardly-projecting lip .2, which lip constitutes one side of the pockets, by which means when the casting G is turned in either direction, the pockets are made larger or smaller according to the number of kernels of corn or grain it is desired to plant. This casting O is held by a bolt N, which passes down through its center and down through the hole through the pendent portion of the casting D. Thus by loosening the bolt N the casting C may be turned in either direction to fix the size of the pockets, after which the bolt is tightened.

Over the delivery orifice F and attached to the side of the box B is a striker or cut-cit, beneath which all the pockets are brought in the operation to plant, and are thus struck off level-full. This striker consists ofthe casting s, which is attached to the box and two spring-metal plates 71. and m, fastened to said casting at an angle to each other, said plates being disconnected from each other and only connected with the casting at the top. By this means the plate h will yield inwardly and the plate m upwardly to allow the crowding grain to pass without crushing the same when the pockets are brought beneath the striker.

Of course it will be understood that both the castings D and C revolve together the distance of one pocket to another at a time. This is accomplished by means of a combined lever and gate e, said lever being pivoted at the inner end on the pendent portion of the casting D, Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The outer end of this lever e is provided with a spring-actuateddog c, which engages notches n in the outer edge of the casting D. This lever e is located in the chambered-out portion beneath the disk E, at the orifice F, said chamberedout portion occupying a space bounded by the dotted lines 1 1 in Fig. 4:, and opening through the side of the box, as in Figs. 1 and 7. The lever e also acts as a gate to close the discharge-orifice after one of the pockets has been emptied and before the other pocket is in position to be emptied, which the dotted lever in Fig. 3 will serve to illustrate. In the operation referring to said Fig. 3 the lever e is swung from its position shown by dotted lines to the position shown by full lines, which action moves the casting O and D a distance of one pocket. The lever e is then swung back to the dotted position during each action, the casting D is prevented from turning back by means of the spring-ratchet P, attached to the side of the box, the end of which engages the notches n. The outer end of the lever e is attached to the spring-actuated bar 3 of the planter by a link a, as in Fig. 1.

In the act of planting the operator presses the foot 4 on the ground, which action throws the arms 3 to the right and carries the lever B to its position in dotted lines in Fig.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 0f the United States, is

The combination of the box having the discharge-orifice, the disk having a dischargeorifice registering with the first-named orifice and having elongated adjusting-slots, the setscrews in said slots for holding said disk in the desired position, the pocket disk provided with the pending axes centrally through if the bottom of the box, the'upper disk provided with the holes and pendent lips for controlling the size of the pockets, the center bolt 15 and separated from each other, substantially 20 as set forth.

In testimony to the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name 'in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S; SHEFFIELD WVitnesses:

W. H. COMPTON, SYLVESTER D. BAILEY. 

